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No. a75,0|2. Patented May 28, 190i. B. .1. NOYES.

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(Application filed my 7. 1898.)

(No Model.)

lJNTTEn STATES ATENT OEETCE.

EERNICE J. NOYES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

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SPECILFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675.012, dated May 28, 1 901.

Application filed March 7, 1898. Serial No. 672,831. (No model.)-

To (07 whom, 2175 may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNIOE J. NOYES, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Followers for Boots and Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

In another application filed by me concurrently with this a follower or form for boots and shoes is shown which is adapted to be withdrawn from the boot or shoe having its ankle or top portion closedas, for instance, it maybe withdrawn from a button-boot when buttoned, or from a laced boot when laced, or from a congress boot with the gores unstretched. The follower shown in said application consists, essentially, of a fore part comprising a toe, instep, and ball portion adapted to snugly fit the fore part of the boot or shoe and means connected thereto for thrusting it forward and for retaining it in proper position in the shoe, all of the circumferential measurements of said fore part being reducible to the closed ankle measurement of the shoe. The fore part shown is divided longitudinally into two parts, with springs interposed between them, and the shank portion of said fore part is cut away, materially reducingit-s ball measurement. A fore part thus constructed has all of its circumferential measurements reducible to the closed ankle measurement of the boot or shoe. The fore part thus cut away at the shank portion requires a heel-piece, which is connected to its rear end, to not only thrust forward the fore part, but also to hold its rear end elevated, and, furthermore, an opening is provided at the shank which for some classes of work is undesirable; and this invention has for its object to improve the construction of the follower shown in said application, to the end that said opening at the shank is filled, yet all of the circumferential measurements of the follower are reducible to the closed ankle measurement of the boot or shoe.

In accordance with this invention the fore part comprises the toe, instep, and ball portions and a shankpiece, and said shank-piece is preferably connected by a sliding connection, and a heel-piece is connected with said shank-pieceas, for instance, in a loose or pivotal mannerand the heel-piece is connected and arranged to thrust forward the shank-piece and the other member of the fore part.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a follower for boots and shoes embodying this invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the follower shown in Fig. 1.

The fore part is of any suitable shape, it comprising a-toe, ball, and instep portion a and a shank piece or portion 1). The entire fore part a and b may be made of a single piece and then divided on the line of severance 2, which is herein shown more or less curved, 'or said parts a and b may be made separately. The shank-piece b is connected with the part a by a sliding connectionas, for instance, there may he a dovetailed projection on one of said parts which is adapted to enter and follow along in a groove provided for it on the other part, as represented by dotted lines, Fig. l. The lower end of the groove is closed, which limits the movement of the shank-piece in one direction.

The heel-piece, by means of which the fore part is held in place, is connected to the rear end of the shank-piece b, and,as herein shown, it consists of two arms ff, placed one behind the otherand loosely connected together at their inner or adjacent ends by a U shaped spring f and the opposite end of said arms, as f, is pivotally connected to the rear endof the shank-piece b, and the opposite end or rear extremity of the other arm, as f, bears a convex plate f which is shaped to bear against the heel end of the boot or shoe. This heelpiece, as shown, is extensible lengthwise by the normal separation of the arms of the U- shaped springf and when so extended serves to thrust forward the fore part in a yielding manner. The arms ff of the heel-piece may occupy a position in alinement or they may be angled above or below such position, and when angled below such position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the parts are locked in place; but when it is desired to unlock them the U-shaped springf may be engaged by a last-hook or equivalent device and pulled in an upward direction, whereupon said arms ff will be drawn up,

' may be closed, if desiredt'. 6., it may be buttoned or 1acedand said closed top or ankle portion of said boot or shoe may then be ironed or smoothed on an upper-shaping machine, which may be provided for the purpose, and thereafter said follower may be withdrawn from the boot or shoe Without unbuttoning or nnlacing it or stretching its gores. y

In my application previously referred to, Serial No. 672,830, the toggle-jointed heelpiece herein shown and described is claimed,

3 it comprisingthe arms ff, an intermediate U-shaped spring connecting them together.

Consequently said features are not herein claimed.

I claim- 1. A follower for boots and shoes consisting of a fore part comprising the part a including the toe, ball and instep portions and a shankpiece movable relatively to said part a to reduce the instep measurement of the follower, and a heel-piece connected to said movable shank-piece b, substantially described.

2. A follower for boots and shoes consisting .of a fore part com prising the part at including the toe, ball and instep portions, and a shankpiece I) movable relatively to said part a, to reduce the circumferential measurements of the fore part, and a spring-acting heel-piece loosely connected to said shank-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNICE J. NOYES.

Witnesses:

J ENNIE L. HUTCHINSON, ARTHUR F. RANDALL. 

